Frank wrote:

And I do find it troubling that in one breath they say there is no evidence
of terrorist activity and in the next they, in effect, charge him with that
very thing. Considering all the rhetoric attempting to allay fears about
potential abuses of power inherent in the "Patriot" act this doesn't do
much for their credibility.

Normal procedure in criminal cases is to charge the suspect with any and all
statutes they can think of, whether they apply or not. After consideration by
the prosecuting attorneys, inapplicable charges are typically dropped, but some
may be pressed just to give the DA bargaining power. Credibility usually doesn't
enter into the picture - it's simply not important until the case gets before a
jury.

Based on the statements made so far, they can certainly bring charges of
assault, including assaulting a police officer in the performance of his duty.
That wouldn't get them the publicity they want, and they probably feel that the
penalties for that are too light to serve as a deterrent to others.

George Patterson
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.